Lyle Lovett, Indigo Girls to play Fort Lauderdale music fest

December's Lauderdale Live will be second major music festival to hit the city this year.

Lyle Lovett, The Indigo Girls, even Huey Lewis are among the acts for the… (Scoop Marketing, Courtesy )

October 1, 2013|By Ben Crandell, Staff writer

In another vivid indication that Fort Lauderdale isn't what you think it is, tickets went on sale Monday for Lauderdale Live, an eclectic two-night downtown concert series in December that includes Texas troubadour Lyle Lovett, the smart harmonies of the Indigo Girls and critically lauded up-and-comers, such as the folk duo Shovels and Rope, and former Drive-By Trucker Jason Isbell.

The outdoor concerts are scheduled for Dec. 7-8 at Huizenga Plaza on the New River. Other acts will include Huey Lewis and the News, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, the Wild Feathers and Holly Williams. On Dec. 6, more music will be heard at the Yacht Discovery Experience, which will be held up river at Esplanade Park aboard three ships.

Tickets (starting at $79, plus fees, for a two-day pass) are available at LauderdaleLiveMusic.com. The concerts are produced by Dallas-based Be Music and Entertainment.

Lauderdale Live would be the second major music festival to debut in the city in 2013. In April, the Tortuga Music Festival attracted tens of thousands of residents and tourists to Fort Lauderdale beach for a two-day sea-turtle fundraiser that included country star Kenny Chesney, the Avett Brothers, Grace Potter and Ben Harper.

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler sees Lauderdale Live as a similar opportunity to use live music to diversify the city's reputation as a playground for the posh. Its off-the-beach location is also important.

"Other cities are competing very hard for our tourists, and creating a more vibrant downtown experience is an important way to compete," Seiler said on Monday afternoon from New Orleans, where he was preparing to watch the Saints-Dolphins game and doing some of his own musical research. "I think this could create some real excitement and might become an international draw."